In the News 2006
Sudberry Properties Exec Eager to Get $2 Billion Project Rolling.
October 23, 2006
Quarry Falls, an ambitious mixed-use project being proposed by San Diego-based Sudberry Properties Inc. on a 230-acre sand and gravel quarry in Mission Valley, could be worth about $2 billion by the time it's built out in 2020, generating some $2.8 million a year in added revenue to the city.
The man who is shepherding that mammoth undertaking is Marco Sessa. 33. vice president of development at Sudberry, a mild-mannered fellow who seems un-phased by his assignment.
"Once we get it going, this project will keep me busy for quite a while," he mused.
It already is demanding most of his time, and was a major reason his father-in-law company President Tom Sudberry, had asked him to come on board in 2002.
"My background is in engineering and construction," said Sessa. "There were some major engineering issues to get through, and that was why Tom approached me to join the company."
Sudberry is proposing what he calls a model, sustainable community, embodying the City of Villages concept, by promoting transit ridership, reducing commuter traffic, providing homes close to jobs, a charter school and a possible new fire station, along with the donation of 17 acres of nearby property for a river park.
"We have had a roller-coaster ride because of the political climate in the city," said Sessa. "It has been interesting."
Sessa's short-term goal in the next 12 months is to get Quarry Falls approved by the San Diego City Council. and get construction rolling by 2009.
"Its still an active quarry, and there is a lot of very detailed design that needs to occur," he said.
But this is precisely the sort of challenge Sessa savors.
"To be in the development industry you have to be solution-oriented and optimistic about problem-solving, and figuring out how to make things work, be observed.
It's these qualities that have long impressed father-in-law and boss Tom Sudberry.
"He is a sharp. sharp young man" said Sudberry. "He's very bright, hardworking and dedicated, and he's remarkable in terms of traveling around, looking at examples of master-planned communities, and bringing together the best ideas, and new ones of his own."
Sudberry said he is equally proud of having Sessa as a son-in-law
"My daughter married up," he laughed."We have a close family and we work hard together."
A native of Santiago, Chile, Sessa grew up in Colorado, where he continues to visit family and ski, when he gets the time.
His solid work ethic is admired by his former boss at Reno Contracting Inc. in San Diego. where Sessa worked for more than four years as a project engineer before joining Sudberry. While there, he oversaw more than 670,000 square feet of build-to-suit office developments, with construction costs totaling S94 million.
"You could tell right from day one, he was exceptional,"said Terry Loose, general superintendent for Reno, and a fellow Coloradan. "We hit it right off. He is as sharp as anybody I've ever worked with, and a kind person, and he has a great sense of humor. He handled some tough projects for us, and came out shining. He will go a long way."
By PAT BRODERICK